It is a common cliché that one can have too much of a good thing. One organization is out to prove that idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Between June and August of this year, members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity looked to spread the knowledge of their non-profit organization, The Ability Experience, to the public. And they did so with a bicycle ride from one coast of the United States to the other.
Reed Wells, a native of Moultrie, Georgia, is now a senior at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where he is studying electrical engineering. Earlier this year, he was selected as part of a 25-member team that would take part in the coast-to-coast cycling event known as The Journey of Hope.
“Members of our fraternity have been doing this for 28 years,” Reed says. “I’ve had some guys from my chapter participate in the past, and I wanted to be the next in line to take part.”
The Journey of Hope is an annual event that is geared towards raising awareness of The Ability Experience. The Ability Experience, originally known as PUSH America (which initially stood for “Play Units for the Severely Handicapped”, and later “People Understanding the Severely Handicapped”) is the official charity of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.
In 1987, Pi Kappa Phi alumnus Bruce Rogers traveled across the country, by bicycle, to bring more attention to the charity’s mission. The following year, a 21-person team, led by Jim Karlovec, took part in the inaugural event under the current name.
Prior to this event, Reed’s longest trip had taken place at the regional team training for the Journey of Hope in March. During the training, he rode 85 miles in one day. During the actual event, the participants averaged between 75 and 80 miles per on each day of his cross-country excursion.
The Journey of Hope is conducted in three routes. The South route begins in Los Angeles, California, and the Trans route begins in Seattle, Washington. Reed’s team took the North route, which departed from San Francisco, California. Bikers would take approximately one day per week off to rest; In larger cities, the team would take an extra day off in order to spread awareness of their organization and meet with various groups that shared their mission.
“In Milwaukee, we visited this organization called Girls First,” Reed says. “We took some of the girls out to the mall one night; me and a few of the other guys were assigned to one girl named Hailey. We made her day, just going into stores and trying on funny hats, scarves, putting bows in our hair. It was an incredible experience.”
When asked if he would be participating in the Journey of Hope again in the future, Reid said that, while a repeat cross-country trip was doubtful, he did have plans to continue in the charity of his fraternity.
I plan on participating in ‘Gear Up Florida’ in the future,” he says. “’Gear Up Florida’ is an event similar to ‘Journey of Hope’, but on a smaller scale. It is a 17-day event, beginning in Miami, Florida, and finishing up in Tallahassee.”
When an individual is passionate about a particular cause, he or she will go to great lengths to support their cause. In the case of Reed Wells and the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, every journey provides a spark of hope in the world.
Sidebars (if necessary):
When asked about the most scenic place the team passed through:
“Loveland Pass, in Colorado, just a few days before Denver. We were at our highest point then, passing through the Rocky Mountains at about 12,000 feet. There was actually snow on the ground at some points; those were some of our best views.”
Toughest day of the trip:
“ Our ride from Fallon, Nevada to Austin, Nevada. That was our first ‘century’ ride; it was 112 degrees that day, crossing through the Nevada desert. The hard part; there’s a ton of mountains in Nevada. We would cross a mountain and you’d see the desert plains. Ten miles in the distance, you’d see another mountain. That was our routine all day.”
Best meal:
“In Jackson, California, just before we hit the mountains for the first time, we hit a place called Mel and Fay’s Diner. They’ve been sponsoring us for over twenty-something years. It was delicious; we got some good ‘home-cooked’ food for the first time on the trip.”
South Georgia / October 2015
Special Feature
Reed Wells
Moultrie, Ga.
Moultrie Native Spreads “Hope” Across the Country
By James Washington
